CBT follows a basic structure of beginning, interaction and end. This gives room to the actions that take place in the series of sessions, however many or few that are required.
At the beginning is the assessment, when the client and practitioner, talk about issues that are challenging the client, when they started, causes, what affects them and what might have been already tried to resolve the issues.
The two people then work on the formulation, a plan of action with a schedule that it is agreed the client will be able to use to work on their emotions and or thoughts, in a way that is specific to the issues. How many sessions take place is decided by the client, unless funding is through an agency, eg employer or legal organisation.
Next is the interaction: the client works on activities and experiences – always within their area of achievement – that will lead them towards mastering or resolving the issues that challenge. Within this process of development, sessions continue when the two people discuss progress and any obstacles.
As the process of change moves towards an agreed state of completion, it is confirmed that the therapy is properly approaching an end and the way that takes place is discussed between the two people, along with any appropriate relapse prevention, if that has a place.
The approach is very effective for when a person is feeling ‘stuck’ because of negative emotions that cannot seem to go away, particularly if they are associated with persistent, unwanted thoughts.
This way of working can also be very helpful if someone cannot find a goal or purpose in life. Ways are found to put a structure in place, with details identified about what resources might be useful for changing a person’s outlook.
It has been said that much of what upsets us about life is not what happens to us, but how we see it. CBT uses the processes within ourselves to work on our own thoughts and feelings to make changes, to manage our lives in different ways that help to put us in control.